Organic and elemental carbon in atmospheric particles

The carbonaceous material, present especially in the respirable atmospheric particulate, is emitted directly from the combustion processes and it is composed of an organic fraction, organic carbon (OC) and of a fraction which is resistant to oxidation at temperatures below approximately 400 degrees C, elemental carbon (EC). In this paper OC and EC concentrations are reported measured in downtown Rome and in a park, Villa Ada, by means of an analyzer which utilizes the thermal properties of the particles. The temporal trends of EC and OC in Rome are in good agreement during the entire period investigated (correlation coefficient between 0.86-0.90). On the other hand the comparison with Villa Ada shows a different contribution from secondary origin pollutants. The carbonaceous fraction in the total particulate mass, measured by means of a TEOM analyzer, varies between 30-40% in downtown and 20-25% in the park, respectively.